"How DARE you NOT bring home ALL A's!" Bob McLean roared at the little seven-year-old girl that was now back home. "You KNOW the rles, Tesia! NO A's, NO Alex!"
"Buts Daddy!" Tesia wailed. "I tried! I dids!"
"And your room! It's a mess! Clean it THIS instant, Young Lady!"
"Buts - "
Bob hauled off and smacked the little child - his baby.
Tesia reeled backwards, then looked up at him with tears and confusion in her eyes.
Bob glared at her angrily. "Now, git!"
Tesia stared at him a moment longer, then ran on upstairs to her room.
Bob sighed, as he watched her go. He didn't want to hurt her - but he had too. He had to protect her from his wife - her mother. He told himself he loved the woman - he told everyone that. But in reality, he only stayed to protect his baby - even though he hurt just as as much as her mother - sometimes worse. And though wrong, he was doing it all for the right reasons. Reasons he hoped that some day Tesia would understand - Alex too, if he ever found out.
Claire McLean entered the room then, smiling upon spotting her husband. "How was your day, Honey?"
Bob turned to look at the woman he had married and created a little girl with. "Alright."
"Just alright?" Claire demanded, raising her eyebrows in suspicion. "Did the Brat do something AGAIN?"
"I took care of it," Bob answered.
"Oh, really," Claire stated. "You're not just saying that to protect her, are you?"
"No, Ma'am. I took care of the little urchin," Bob replied with fake venom, hoping she believed him. Sure he'd bellowed and smacked his daughter - but he hadn't smacked her all that hard. No where near as hard as usual.
"Good," Claire spat. "'Cause if I hafta deal with her, my day would just be RUINED!"
Bob forced a smile upon his face. "Good day, Honey?"
"Yes," Claire smiled. "I went shopping in all my favourite shops! And I NEVER had to deal with the little wench upstairs. Lovely day it's been. Especially knowing you've punished her again. Just makes my day that much brighter."
Bob nodded absently, the fake smile still plastered on his face. "That's great."
Claire kissed him passionately, Bob kissing her back, acting through it all.
"One day..." he thought. "I'll leave this all behind, and take my little girl far away from here. And i'll be the father I should've been to start with."
Claire didn't notice a thing was wrong, as she was too wrapped up in her own twisted happiness.
Bob finally pulled back, pretending to gasp for air. He watched silently as Claire headed for the kitchen, rambling about things he could care less about. He glanced at the staircase, tempted to go spy on Tesia - but knowing if he was caught, there'd be Hell to pay. When Teisa had been born, he'd felt such joy and as though his life was now complete - foolishly he realized too late, just how incomplete it truly was. The things he wanted most, he couldn't have, without endangering the one person who meant the most to him - Tesia. He felt his heart harden, though it didn't break - how could it break, when it wasn't even whole in the first place?
